


old bones

by acehearts567



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Older Dib (Invader Zim), Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:29:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28442454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acehearts567/pseuds/acehearts567
Summary: Off in the distance was a thing. It was bent at all the wrong angles and fleshy, long gnarled feet slapping the ground with every step. It looked ike someone tried to put a dog skeleton inside a human body. White foam dripped from its maw.Things that go bump, a presence, rustling leaves and barely audible breathing.Membrane sends dib to a family member(?)s house. Dib says only if he can bring zim. Dib and zim go to creepy old farmhouse type shit, run into local woods cryptid.
Relationships: Dib & Gaz (Invader Zim), Dib & Zim (Invader Zim), Dib/Zim (Invader Zim)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I told myself not to post until I had a few chapters done but then i saw one of my fave zadr fics was made by a pedophile :(  
> So here's this.  
> Dibs my age (17) in this.

Dib wasn't sure how he kept ending up in these situations. Sure, he knew he had bargained with his dad and ultimately won with more than he lost, but still. He stared at the creature looming over the barn door and wondered again, how did he keep ending up like this? 

It never started off as normal, he supposes, so of course it stayed that way. It was a week ago when this was first mentioned. This two week vacation thing. He woke with a start at the sound of a door slamming. A lifetime of living with Gaz still did nothing to desensitize him to her moods. But today was different. 

Dib kicked his sheets free from their entanglement around his ankles and hauled himself into a standing position. His clock blinked bright red numbers, 8:22. He frowned. It was way too early for Gaz to be awake. 

Dad must've called. 

Carefully as he could, Dib crept out of his room towards Gaz's. 

"Dad, you know I would like a family vacation, but two weeks with no electronics is just-" her muffled voice came through her door. 

"Dad, no, I understand but-" she cut off again. There was a longer moment of silence and Dib held his breath. 

"Fine." And then the door handle was turning and Dib only had a moment to jump back. The fates were not kind to him and he tripped over something and landed on his ass. Caught red handed, eavesdropping. 

"Dib." Gaz didn't look surprised. 

"Gaz." She stood, squinting at him for a moment longer. Then she shoved her hands in her pockets, and out came her phone, tossed to him. Dib snatched it from the air and looked down, a little surprised. The feeling faded when he realized what he was looking at. 

It was open on a text conversation between Gaz and their dad. 

Missed call from Dad 6:57 a.m. 

Dad: Gazlene I need to speak to you and your brother. (6:58) 

Me: yeah what's up (7:02) 

Dad: Do you remember my distant cousin, Charles? He owns that farmhouse out in the country. (7:06) 

Me: uncle chuck? we haven't seen him in ages?? (7:06) 

Dad: Yes, him. I just recently spoke to a colleague who knows him as well. Then we discussed the benefits of traveling outside of the city to get some fresh air. It does wonders for the brain. I thought I should send you and your brother there. (7:16) 

Me: um okay when are we leaving (7:20) 

Dad: I talked to your uncle and he said he can have you two over this upcoming Monday. (7:23) 

Dad: There is a slight condition however. (7:23) 

Dib furrowed his brows. His father never double texted. 

Me: and whats that???? (7:24) 

Dad: I will not be allowing electronics, as it is your uncle's request. (7:28) 

Me: WHAT (7:32) 

Me: DAD NO YOU'RE KIDDING(7:32) 

Me: dad you LIKE videogames (7:33) 

Me: dad why are you doing this????????(7:33) 

Call from Dad (lasted 53:48 min) 

Dib looked up at his sister. She looked back, both eyes open. 

"I can't believe I'm saying this, and I'll gut you for repeating it but," Gaz furrowed her brows, "you gotta stop him." 

"Wha- me?" He said, incredulous at his sisters request. 

She rolled her eyes, "you're the problem child. I can't get on dad's bad side but you can." 

Dib squinted at her. 

"Dib you know I'm right. You have to argue this, besides do you really want to spend two weeks on a fucking farm with nothing but the rotting porch to entertain you?" She crossed her arms now and leaned against her door frame. 

Dib thought for a moment even if he knew his answer. Two weeks of no contact with Zim seemed otherworldly now, since the little bug squirmed his way into Dibs daily life. He briefly remember their conversation last night about crop circles. 

"Yeah, fine Gaz. I'll argue with dad," she started to straighten, "but!" Dib held out his hands, "but, you owe me a pizza." 

Gaz cocked a brow. Dib waited. 

The quiet stretched between them, Dib still sitting in front of Gazs door. His legs were starting to fall asleep from being tucked under him, pins and needles creeping up and down his ankles. 

Finally Gaz sighed. "Fine. Go away." 

Dib sprung up while Gaz shut her door, and raced down the stairs. His legs wobbled under him but he kept steady enough to make it down the steps. The living room window was open and the curtain puffed out when a breeze came through. Dib paid little attention as the breeze caught on his hair. 

He walked right into the kitchen and paused. Wait a minute, why was the living room window open? Gaz wouldn't open it. She hated the sun. 

Which leaves only one culprit- Dib rounds on the pantry. Not at all surprising to him as the door, slightly ajar. 

He flung it the rest of the way open. 

"Some big bad alien invader you are, can't even close the door all the way," he said. 

Just as expected, Zim sat on the pantry floor. Surrounded by snacks and both hands in two separate bags of candy. Gaz'll be so mad when her gummy bears go missing. 

Zim hissed. 

"Real intimidating when you're double fisting gummy candy." 

"Zim is doing no such thing!" He yells, tossing the candy behind his back. The candy bounces off the shelves behind him and leaves the floor half covered in little bears and worms. 

"Real charming, Zim. You know you left the door and window open, right?" Dib asks. Zim squints at him, baring his teeth. 

"I did all that on purpose, Dib-thing," he says. His sharp teeth are still bared. 

"And why is that?" 

"So Mary can find me!" A shrill voice squeals before something cold and heavy launches itself at Dibs chest. He's knocked to the ground again. Gir is hugging him and giggling, kicking his little robot legs out. He isn't wearing his disguise. 

"See, pitiful dirt worm?! I, the almighty Zim, set this up perfectly to ambush you!" Zim threw his head back and cackled. 

Dib has half the mind to kick him. Instead he launches Gir at him which is possibly a worse crime. The little robot laughs wildly as he lands on his master's face and takes them both down. Zim starts to shout.  
"This is assault! GIR! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO ATTACK DIBS STUPID, BIG HEAD! NOT MY AMAZING ONE!" Zim squawks, grabbing at Gir. Gir screams and kicks again. His kick clicks harsh against Zims teeth, Dib inwardly winces at the sound. That can't feel good. 

It, as a matter of fact, did not feel good. Zim howled in pain as his teeth cut into his lower lip, finally shaking Gir free. Gir hit the shelves and fell down with a few soup cans. He shoved them both in his mouth. 

"Dib-stink! You caused this! You caused this pain for me, for Zim, your one and only friend-" Zim begins to whine, odd colored alien blook leaking around his mouth. 

"Oh so now we're friends, but before you were my 'future overlord'?" Dib asks, unamused but used to Zims antics. They've been friends for a few years now. 

"I can be both," he says, batting his eyes at Dib. 

Dib stuck out his tongue. He turned on his heel, shutting the pantry door just to annoy Zim. He heard muffled shouts of incredulity and smiled. 

He made his way to the freezer for a hotpocket to satiate the hunger gnawing at his insides. His sleep schedule had been all fucked and by proxy, his eating schedule. 

"Human worm! I have broken free from your pan-dree imprisonment! You can not trap the magnificent Zim!" Zim yells, pantry door flung open dramatically. He has both hands on his hips and his head pointed up. 

"Very cool, space boy," he said, turning back to watch his hotpocket rotate in the microwave.  
"Glad to see an elite alien soldier knows how to open a door." 

He can feels Zims dirty look on the back of his head. He chooses to ignore it as the microwave beeps. Dibs takes out his food, nearly burning himself in the process and then- 

Shhkk. 

A pak leg pierces his hotpocket and dangles it above his head.  
Dib tries not to take the bait. He really does. But then he swipes at the pak leg and it holds the hotpocket higher above Dib' s head. 

"C'mon, Zim, I'm trying to eat that," Dib complains, turning to lock eyes with Zim. He's got a wide grin and lowers the hot pocket into Dibs range. Dib rolls his eyes, he won't fall for this again. He stands still. The hotpocket lowers, close enough Dib could feel the heat from it. It's right by his face. He could grab it. He should grab it. It's right there. 

Dib gets his hands close enough that the metal of the pak leg stings across his fingers as it pulls up. Zim is laughing, head thrown back. 

"Okay, lizard, have it your way." And then Dib adjusted his stance and lunged at the alien. Zim shrieked, barely side stepping. It was so close that Dib caught a hold of Zims shirt. He briefly noted that its one of his own, with a spaceship on the front. 

He doesn't get time to gawk before Zim is using his own momentum as leverage and spins the two of them around. He wrenched Dibs grip off his shirt while he goes and it sends Dib into the nearest wall. 

"Wait, Zim-" 

His back hits the wall first. He looks to Zim and then to the pak legs around him. In the scuffle, he lowered the hotpocket shish-ka-bob. 

Ha, gotcha, he thinks. 

Dib leaps towards the pak leg, hands outstretched. Zim is faster. He shoulder checks Dib to knock him off course, but his fingers still snag the end of a pak leg. They come back stinging. Blood leaks from a slightly deeper wound. Dib pays it no mind. 

"What the hell, Zim!" He yells. 

"Dib-pig! Do you want to skewer yourself?" Zim shouts. He always shouts. Dib shakes his hands to try and calm the stinging. 

"I am sure it's an honor to be killed by the almighty Zim, but the Dib is not usually so willing." Zim squints suddenly, and pushes his face into Dibs personal bubble. 

"No, really, Zim, what the hell-" he tries to push Zim back by his shoulders. 

"Is the Dib an imposter? EXPOSE YOURSELF, FALSE-DIB!" Zim's voice is shrill. 

Dibs stomach growls. Zim stops moving. He pulls back. 

"Dib-thing, your nutrient absorbing organ-" Zim starts. He stops then, too. A pak leg lowers in between them and Zim unceremoniously plucks the now cold hotpocket off. He hands it to Dib. 

"Gee, thanks, space bug," Dib said. 

"Dib-stink, don't ever let me hear your organs complain of you not keeping up with them," Zim said, suddenly a little serious. Dib frowns at the change in demeanor. 

"Its not my fault, I was busy," he said. 

"Use your stupidly large head to come up with times to nourish your pathetic fleshy body," Zim said, waving him off. Then he grins, all too sharp. 

"Zim can't have a future servant whos too weak to battle." 

Dib whacked him over the head with a nearby spatula.


	2. ch2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just some domestic stuff ig

Zim stayed after that. He sat stretched across the couch, flicking through Netflix to find something to watch. Gir sat on the floor in front of him. He was surrounded by various jams and jellies, and was smearing them across a canvas. 

Dib sat at the other end of the couch, scrolling through his phone. Zim's feet were in his lap. The pressure was comforting as his mind drifted towards the problems he was having. 

"So, Zim," he began, "how do you usually go about convincing people of things?"

"Zim threatens their lives and the lives of those they love," Zim replied with no hesitation. Not even a pause to think. 

Dib face palmed. "No, you know what? I don't know what I was thinking asking you that."

"I'm a master of persuasion, Dib-worm, of course you would ask Zim," Zim said, deciding on some crime show on Netflix.

"Not when it comes to my dad. Ugh," Dib groaned just thinking of him. "My dad and his stupid 'real science' and white lab coat, what a pretentious asshole, y'know," he looked to Zim. He was nodding sympathetically, despite his eye roll. 

"Yes, yes, your parental unit is one of these earth asses, as you say," he said with a wave of his hand, "but why do you need to persuade him of some thing?"

"He's a real prick, Zim, I have to persuade him to even let me be myself," Dib said.

"Yes Zim is aware, but there has to be something you want," Zim squinted at him. 

"Not me, it's," Dib lowered his voice as he said her name, "Gaz."

"Eh?" Zim says, "what does this have to do with your sibling-unit?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, space boy?"

Zim picked his feet up just to kick them back down into Dib's thigh. Dib knew he would throw fit. Zim picked them up again, and slammed them back down. He started to pick them up again so Dib cut him off.

"Ouch, okay," he said, "I'll tell you." Zim rests his feet. 

"So basically my dad is sending Gaz and I to our uncle person's house for two weeks, which is a stupid amount of time why the hell its that long is beyond me, but like the catch here is that we can't bring electronics," Dib looked down at his hands to escape Zim's eyes, "I'm not sure how Gaz will survive without her GameSlave. And of course that means I can't bring my phone, so I won't be able to talk to you."

The following quiet made Dib that much more aware of the steady pressure on his thighs. Zim's booted feet were the only things tethering him to the world, it felt. He was dazed for some reason, head cloudy. He didn't get why his dad would make these choices and they didn't feel real to him. His dad wasn't so stupid that he believed his kids wouldn't sneak at least their phones, right?

"Ask if Zim can go with you," Zim says, breaking Dib out of his trance. He blinked, once, twice, then-

"Huh?!" 

Zim rolled his eyes. 

"Ask him if you can bring me," he said, as if it was that simple. And maybe it could be? Dib wasn't sure. His dad knew Zim and Dib were some type of friends, even if they fought one minute and watched Netflix the next. Zim would beat his ass and then ask for the snacks, and Dib would act similarly. But would Membrane let Zim go? And more importantly why would Zim want to go?

"C'mon, worm, answer Zim," Zim said, nudging Dib. He suddenly was aware of the tv being on mute. He didn't know how long it'd been that way. 

"I-I guess I can ask him," he said quietly. Dib curled his fingers around the phone resting next to him. He could text his dad right now and ask, but would his dad remember when the time came? Or would it be better if Dib waited until it was closer until it was time to leave to ask his dad? 

"I can't ask him just yet, though," he added. Zim seemed to accept this and turned his attention back to the tv. 

Dib thought about his uncle's house. It was old and falling apart, gutters filled with weeds. He saw a three foot sunflower growing out of them once. It would be cold, the insulation not doing its job. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Zim went? They could explore the house and the barn out back, and bothering Zim would keep Dib from bothering Gaz. Annoying Gaz was death waiting to happen. 

This turned his mind back towards Gaz and subsequently, his dad. Gaz was probably upstairs, pissed off and gaming. He hoped she censored enough for her streams. He was also angry with his dad. Membrane just didn't get it, the whole point of a vacation is to be with family. That includes him. Dib knows Gaz would be slightly less pissed if their dad was coming too. Gaz would give up almost anything to spend time with that man. Dib wasn't sure how he felt towards his dad anymore. They didn't really click, and probably never would. Membrane didn't understand the paranormal. The supernatural. The Spanish dub. He didn't understand it and by extension didn't understand his own son. 

His clone. 

That was pathetic to Dib, even Gaz got him to a point. They were closer now than they had been as kids. 

Dib closed his eyes. He thought about his most recent fight with his dad, over a dumb ghost video that had been debunked a few days later. At the time it felt like the most important thing to him. It mattered so much that Dib was right about this one, that Dib could have his father admit just once that something was a little strange. That doors and cabinets don't open on their own and mirrors don't randomly crack. 

When Membrane went further and did his own snooping, he was the one to send Dib the apology video the channel put up saying how fake their videos were. The shame had burned bright on his face then and it was slowly creeping back into Dib's cheeks. He opened his eyes. 

He turned his head to study his friend, shame burning high on his face and low in his gut. It was uncomfortable and if he thought about it long enough, hot angry tears would prick his eyes. 

He willed himself to focus solely on Zim. Zim had his face tilted towards the tv, and every now and then his wig would twitch. He was so immersed into this show that Dib knew if his antenna were uncovered they would be bent completely forwards. 

Zim's brow was slightly furrowed and his mouth hung open just a smidge. Dib smiled. He looked dumb.

Dib closed his eyes again and burrowed back into the comfort of the couch. It was warm. He hadn't gotten much sleep, and it was barely reaching noon. He could take a little nap and still have daylight left, right? 

The feet retracting from his lap told him no, he can't nap. 

"Dib-worm," Zim said, as Dib peeked an eye open. The alien had his feet tucked against his own body now. Dib missed the warmth. 

"Yes, Zim?" He answered any way. 

"Would you like to watch one of your paranormie shows? Zim has found something that might amuse you," Zim said, putting youtube up on the tv. He typed in something about animal planet. 

"Dude really? I haven't seen these since I was a kid," Dib said, sitting up straighter. 

"But wait, why were you looking for this stuff?" He asked, looking to Zim. 

"No questions!" Zim yelled. 

"But-"

"No! I am not answering anything, now shut your face hole and watch this!" Zim yelled again. 

Dib frowned and focused on the screen. The cheesy, early 2000s graphics quickly pulled his lips up. It was a four hour youtube video of the whole first season. The very first episode was of the chupacabra. 

Zim cackled at the corpses of the goats shown on-screen. The fuzzy quality did the bodies no favors. Dib pulled a face. He knew all of this information about the chupacabra already, and probably more. But it was easy and funny to watch. It didn't require a whole lot of speculation and it pulled him out of his shame bubble. He was going to allow himself have this night, sitting on his couch and laughing with Zim, his friend, over a poor quality tv show about cryptids.

The deep, monotonous voices lulled him into comfort. 

"You humans, and your beasties," Zim muttered. Dib laughed. 

"What's that supposed to mean," he asked, smiling. 

"You humans love your beasties, you love to pick apart your world and create these things," Zim said. 

Dib cocked his head and look over at him. Zim was still watching the show, ever intrigued by human behavior and fear response whether he would admit it or not. He decided to ignore the jab.

The depictions of the creature were so fake it had both boys howling with laughter. Zim's head was thrown back and he clutched his stomach, point at the tv wildly. Dib had his hands over his mouth trying to stifle his giggles. It normally would've bothered him to sit here and waste time watching fake videos, but it was funny today. 

The people in the tape were afraid of what Zim called "a dog doing a little sucky sucky" (Dib had squawked and smacked him over the head for his phrase) but it still made them laugh. 

"So tell me bug," Dib started off, "what's got you in such a good mood today?"

Zim met his gaze with a sharp smile. 

"Gummy worms, Dib-stink. You see, it was Girs idea to infiltrate-" Zim cut himself off, "GIR! Where is Gir?" He pulled himself up off the couch frantically. 

Dib looked around. The jellies and jams were knocked over, one jar broken and another shoved through the center of the canvas. A picture that looked almost like a goat with its insides strung up was painted around the center jar. 

If Gir had left during the first episode he had to be close by still. At least in the house. 

"Gir! Gir, come to your master!" Zim yelled. 

"Zim you go upstairs, I'll look in the lab," Dib said. He didn't really want Zim yelling by Gaz but it beat having the alien down in his fathers lab. 

Zim nodded to him shortly before turning towards the direction of the stairs. Dib didn't stay to watch him, instead swinging the basement door open and jogging down the steps. 

At the bottom there were two doors and a little censor for his hand to go. He placed his right hand on the cool surface, willing the machine to hurry up. If Gir somehow made it past the security, who knows what kind of a mess he made. 

The doors opened with a hiss and the bright fluorescents flickered to life. Dib entered, walking carefully around each table. There were various pieces of tech and samples scattered across the table. Most people found it surprising that Membrane could be a bit messy in his work. 

Dib checked under the table and was greeted with nothing but the cold floor. He checked a table next to him. Nothing there. From his position he could see most of the tables and what was under them. A few had broken machines, including a microscope inside a coffee pot. Nothing new.

He stood and walked to the back of the room. There was a second door. It scanned his hand and let him through. Inside, he saw the room was a small closet seemingly turned into Membranes personal little library. Dib might've shrugged it off if he hadn't recognized Membranes scrawl, so different than his own, on the spines of each book. And one labeled "COUSIN CHUCK".

Dib frowned and reached towards it. His fingers just barely touched the smooth leather spine before he heard his name being yelled. 

"Dib-worm!" Footsteps. "Zim has found Gir!" He was by the doors. 

Dib shoved the book back on the shelf and turned around. 

"Oh, really where was he?" He asked through the door.

"In your sibling-worms room," Zim answered. Dib opened the door to come face to face with the alien. 

The feeling of leather remained featherlight on his fingertips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if something is spelled wrong I'm sorry I'm brain dead

**Author's Note:**

> should hav an update in 1-2 weeks


End file.
